The problem in the US is not “lack of health insurance”, but lack of health. Lack of health is not due to lack of insurance but due to inattention to everything related to one’s health like weight control, diet, exercise, safe lifestyle and even goes to where one lives.
So how does the gubmint legislate health? Let’s say it’s the law that one has to “be healthy” - so it is mandated that everyone have two checkups per year. Everybody in the entire US goes to a doctor twice per year. The doctor tells them to stop doing all the unhealthy stuff the do now. REALLY now, what percentage will actually do so based on their being told by a doctor?
To those who are healthy why do they have to have insurance? I don’t insure my car for full coverage because it is a 1993 Volvo - if it wrecks I either pay to fix it or junk it. I save about 200 bucks per year on car insurance. Similarly with health insurance - if I don’t have it and say I break my arm I pay out of pocket. How much is a broken arm say 2000 bucks? My group plan costs me about 300 per month for a reasonable health policy with a 500 deductible. SO my out of pocket per year is 4100 bucks - if I pay for my broken arm I actually saved 2100 dollars!
Before the gubmint jumps into this they should try an experiement in a state with a smaller population - say we pick North Dakota and pay for two checkups every year for every person and track their health costs for a couple years whether they have insurance or not - and see what shakes out. I would bet that nothing changes - a very small percentage will change their lifestyle but they would anyway. The majority will take what is free and ignore the advice.
We have to stop equating health with health insurance. We should also put more doctors all over the place, more nurse practitioners, flood the market. Then let the doctors advertise their fee structures just like we have let all the personal injury lawyers! Right now there is no competition in the health care market - an MRI costs 1800 bucks? I don’t want to buy the machine, just rent it for about 20 minutes. Yes it is costly to buy (couple million), but at 18000 PER DAY in fees that gets paid for pretty fast.
How about that medicine too - I take Zomig for migraines - 20 bucks PER PILL! Tell me we can’t regulate that - we regulate milk prices, gas prices, fuel prices, but our gubmint can’t regulate drug prices?
We don’t need any national health insurance. What we need is to first figure out how to get people to live a relatively healthy lifestyle, then get the costs under control so they are based on something real, get drug costs under control. That process will take years. Without these controls in place first any single payer health insurance will bankrupt the country while enriching drug companies, doctors, hospitals, lawyers, and lobbyists.
So how does the gubmint legislate health? Let’s say it’s the law that one has to “be healthy” - so it is mandated that everyone have two checkups per year. Everybody in the entire US goes to a doctor twice per year. The doctor tells them to stop doing all the unhealthy stuff the do now. REALLY now, what percentage will actually do so based on their being told by a doctor?
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govt could pay people to be more healthy? If you are very overweight and you lose weight and keep it off, that’s something a doctor could measure. The idea of cold hard cash may be just as tempting as that Hardee’s monster thick burger. It would also be compatible with any effective diet or exercise plan, unlike the junk food tax.
To those who are healthy why do they have to have insurance? I don’t insure my car for full coverage because it is a 1993 Volvo - if it wrecks I either pay to fix it or junk it. I save about 200 bucks per year on car insurance. Similarly with health insurance - if I don’t have it and say I break my arm I pay out of pocket. How much is a broken arm say 2000 bucks? My group plan costs me about 300 per month for a reasonable health policy with a 500 deductible. SO my out of pocket per year is 4100 bucks - if I pay for my broken arm I actually saved 2100 dollars!I sure hope you don't become a quadriplegic in an accident. I have a feeling we'll be picking up your bills then. You can junk your cars but suicide is illegal.
Insurance is about spreading the risk.